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CNN Sunday Morning
Targeting the Bunny; Rescue at Sea; British Troops Attacked; Homeless Sex Offenders; Iraq's Orphans; Hookah Bars Becoming Last Refuge for Smokers; 'Faces of Faith'
Aired April 08, 2007 - 07:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, everybody. Happy Easter.
Happy Easter, Betty.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: Yes. Happy Easter, T.J.
HOLMES: Is that your Easter outfit there?
NGUYEN: I thought you were going to wear yours.
HOLMES: My Easter suit. It didn't work out. It's too cold. It's too cold. It didn't feel right.
NGUYEN: It is cold outside.
HOLMES: But of course it is Sunday, April 8th.
And I'm T.J. Holmes at the CNN Center here in Atlanta.
NGUYEN: Yes. Good morning, everybody.
I'm Betty Nguyen.
It is a cold Easter morning here in the South.
We do want to thank you for waking up with us.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: All the dishes started to fall out in the kitchen. That didn't sound good. Then when we saw all the crew with life vests on, we knew something was really not good.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Yes, if the crew has got the life vest on, that's not a good sign.
NGUYEN: That is a sign of, you better get some help quick.
HOLMES: Yes. We've got some dramatic new video. A scary, scary story here of that sinking cruise ship filled with hundreds of American tourists. Panic and evacuations.
You will hear what the final moments were like before that ship went under.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They're desperate, they're angry, and who do they hang around, but other sex offenders. And they feed off each other's anger and their desperation.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: Outrage in one major U.S. city. Dangerous sex offenders living under a highway bridge, able to come and go as they please.
HOLMES: Also, hooked on hookah.
NGUYEN: Huh?
HOLMES: But what about those new laws? Yes, you have seen this stuff maybe, Betty.
NGUYEN: I have never seen that before. I have no idea what you are talking about.
HOLMES: Well, can you still smoke the pipe in a smokeless bar?
We'll get in to that.
NGUYEN: OK.
Well, also, egg overload. Take a look at this Easter egg wonderland. We're going to take you there on CNN SUNDAY MORNING. Watch where you step.
HOLMES: All right.
But up first here, churches around the world will be overflowing this morning as Christians celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. They'll be overflowing.
We all know people, Betty, who just go to church on Easter.
NGUYEN: Only on the holidays.
HOLMES: So it's going to be packed houses all around the world today. Easter is the most important date on the Christian calendar, of course. Many believers gathering outdoors right now for sunrise services.
You can see a couple of them now. Live pictures here from a church in Philadelphia. Also, a live picture from Arlington National Cemetery, just outside Washington. Arlington, of course, one of the most sacred sites in the U.S. More than 300,000 war veterans and American dignitaries are buried at Arlington, with an average of 28 added every single day.
Meanwhile, at the Vatican, Pope Benedict XVI presided over Easter mass at St. Peter's Basilica It included his traditional papal address known as "To the City and To the World."
Pope Benedict turns 80 on April 16th.
And Easter celebrations also under way in the Holy Land. These pilgrims worshipping at the Garden Tomb in Jerusalem. Some Christians believe this is the site where Jesus was buried and then arose three days later.
NGUYEN: Well, Chicago's cardinal is holding an unexpected Easter mass this morning. Here's why. Cardinal Francis George will actually preside over Easter mass from the hospital.
That's right, the 70-year-old cardinal fractured his hip Saturday while blessing Easter baskets. A spokeswoman for the Chicago Archdiocese says the cardinal slipped on spilled holy water.
Hold your comments.
He finished up the basket blessings before heading to the hospital.
So, is the Easter bunny ruining the real meaning of this holiday? Ask your average 5-year-old, and they don't care. They just want to find eggs and candy, of course. But some grownups seem to be taking the issue much more seriously.
CNN's Carol Costello takes a look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): The Christian Cultural Center in south Brooklyn comes alive with the spirit of Easter -- resurrection, renewal, rebirth. But just a few blocks away, some Christians are celebrating Easter of a different kind, where bunnies fill baskets with brightly-colored eggs.
Hey, is that Jesus over there beyond the eggs?
REV. A.R. BERNARD, CHRISTIAN CULTURAL CENTER: It is a silly little symbol and should never take the place of the true meaning of Easter, which is Resurrection Sunday.
COSTELLO: The Easter bunny is under attack by some Christians who worry the bunny is doing to the resurrection what Santa did to Christmas.
BERNARD: It's the growth of religious pluralism and secularism in American culture. Vestiges of these Pagan celebrations began to come back in and threaten the original meaning of Easter to the American culture and the American population.
COSTELLO: And it's not just religious folks. St. Paul, Minnesota, removed the Easter bunny from city hall because it was too religious. People decorated the entrance with marshmallow peeps in protest.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think Easter -- Easter is one thing, but the Easter bunny is something else.
COSTELLO: Paul Lauer, whose company marketed "The Passion of the Christ," is defending the bunny in an e-mail campaign to 100,000 Christians.
PAUL LAUER, MOTIVE MARKETING: If we expect the general secular mainstream culture to accept certain aspects of our religious expression in public life, we need to accept some degree of mainstream expression of how they celebrate these holidays.
COSTELLO: It's not clear how Easter and the bunny got mixed up with the Christian resurrection. Easter is the name of a non- Christian fertility goddess, Ishtar. Eggs and rabbits are signs of fertility.
TERRENCE TILLEY, THEOLOGY PROFESSOR, FORDHAM UNIV.: The word may come from a word for a spring goddess in German, "Eostre," or it may come from a mistranslation.
COSTELLO: But even some Christians would like a little less rabbit and a little more religion.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's not the birth of a bunny or an egg, you know. It's for Jesus.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I mean, they're cute. Everybody likes them. But it's not about the bunny. Easter is not about bunnies. It's about Jesus.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: All right. So with that in mind, how much do you know about the Christian movement and how it began?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: Some people have called Paul the second founder of Christianity, because Christianity is more than following the teachings of Jesus. Christianity is not just the religion that Jesus had, it's the religion about Jesus. It's the religion founded on Jesus' death and resurrection.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: We're going to take a look at the revolution that became Christianity. That's in our "Faces of Faith," coming up in our next half hour.
HOLMES: Bundle up. As you head out this Easter morning, be prepared for cold. We'll take to you now to Lubbock, Texas, where it looks more like Christmas than it does Easter.
NGUYEN: Making a snowman, too.
HOLMES: While you were sleeping -- making a snowman or is he making a big egg there, a big Easter egg? NGUYEN: A big Easter egg? You have to color that some way. I don't even want to get into it.
Go ahead.
(WEATHER REPORT)
NGUYEN: All right. There are some big-time busts on the high seas. Look at this.
Fifteen tons of cocaine is being offloaded from the USS McInerney -- McInerney? How do you pronounce that?
HOLMES: McInerney.
NGUYEN: McInerney.
HOLMES: Yes. Yes.
NGUYEN: That's what it was at the Mayport, Florida, naval station. Coast Guard crews made two separate busts in the Pacific Ocean. Fourteen suspected smugglers are being held.
Now, the coke has an approximate street value of, get this, $400 million.
HOLMES: Well, we've got another interesting new look for you this morning. Those last moments at sea for that ill-fated Greek cruise ship...
NGUYEN: Right.
HOLMES: ... we've been keeping an eye on. Look at those pictures there.
Hundreds of Americans were actually on board that ship. Now back home, eager to share some of their stories and their pictures.
And CNN's Veronica de la Cruz has the story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
VERONICA DE LA CRUZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): The last moments of the Sea Diamond as it capsizes close to the Greek island of Santorini early on Friday morning. Arriving home in New York, some of the cruise liner's passengers talk about their sudden end to their vacation and their lucky escape.
MARYANN SALERNO, PASSENGER: I was lost from all my friends, 38 of them. I was by myself on the ship the whole time.
DE LA CRUZ: Some had praise for the way the emergency was handled.
MARY HENDERSON, PASSENGER: The crew was wonderful. They were absolutely wonderful. DE LA CRUZ: Others spoke of confusion.
DAVID WEAVER, PASSENGER: They were trying to get the life boats down, which was a chore, and then they had to get the mechanics there to get them rolling.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They were not prepared. No, the staff was not prepared for an emergency like this.
DE LA CRUZ: Some passengers could even smile about the experience.
BARBARA NEIL, PASSENGER: Then when we saw all the crew with life vests on, we knew something was really not good.
DE LA CRUZ: Passengers lost everything they had taken on vacation when the ship went down.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is my luggage!
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We all brought jewelry and everything, and it's all down there. We don't care at this point.
DE LA CRUZ: Several did bring home video of their dramatic escape. All came home with the same thought.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We are home safe to talk about it now. That's what matters.
DE LA CRUZ: Back in Greece, the captain and five other senior crew members of the Sea Diamond have been charged with negligence. His ship lies at the bottom of Santorini's volcanic lagoon.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: Well, all but two passengers made it to shore safely. A Frenchman and his teen daughter still missing.
(NEWSBREAK)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: In Iraq, troops and tanks patrolling the streets of what looks like a ghost town. Well, it's actually a major city, Doniya (ph), 100 miles south of Baghdad. The city's half-million people have been ordered to stay indoors while Iraqi and U.S. troops search for Shia militia members. So-called Operation Black Eagle began at Friday around dawn.
Well, an explosion in Mahmudiya killing at least 15 people and wounding 20 others. At least 26, I should say. Mahmudiya is about 20 miles south of Baghdad.
Meantime, U.S. commanders this morning are announcing four more American deaths in Iraq. The fatalities bring the U.S. death toll there to 3,274 since the war began. HOLMES: British military leaders are reviewing their operations in Basra. This coming just a few days after four British soldiers were killed by a roadside bomb. One of those killed was a good friend of Prince William.
ITN's Keir Simmons has the story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KEIR SIMMONS, REPORTER, ITN (voice over): Second Leftenant Joanna Dyer was 24 years old. She was enormously talented, graduating from Oxford University before going to Sandhurst at the same time as Prince William. She was a close friend of his, and he is said to be deeply saddened. Her family come from Yeovil, in Somerset, a small place where many local people knew her and many will miss her.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't think a lot of people know who actually goes out there. When you realize it's people from a little village like this, it's quite a shock for the whole village.
SIMMONS: Another corner of England mourning for its dead across the sea because three others from three other towns and villages were also killed -- Army medic Private Eleanor Dlugosz, Kingsman Adam Smith, both of who were only 19, and Corporal Kris O'Neill.
MICHAEL O'NEILL, BROTHER OF KRIS O'NEILL: We were extremely proud of the job he did, and we were proud of the job he did. When we joined the army, it made him a better person, so to speak. It was his career that he realized he wanted to do he. He was much loved. I've never known anybody talk a bad word about Kris.
SIMMONS: The roadside bomb that killed them on Thursday blew apart the warrior armored vehicle they were traveling in. The civilian interpreter they were traveling with also died.
Military commanders are reviewing their tactics as the improvised devices planted by insurgents in Iraq become more and more powerful.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: Well, the war in Iraq always a topic on "THIS WEEK AT WAR". CNN correspondent going to be discussing Iran's tactics as well. Also, al Qaeda and the war of words over Nancy Pelosi's trip to Syria.
You can join John Roberts for "THIS WEEK AT WAR". That's today at 1:00 Eastern.
NGUYEN: Well, cities across the country are banning smoking in public places.
HOLMES: So where oh where are the smokers going?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's really relaxing atmosphere. (END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Yes, that looks pretty laid back, doesn't it? If you don't mind the smoke, of course. You can see how some smokers are getting sweet revenge.
NGUYEN: Plus, convicted sex offenders living under a highway overpass in Florida and put there by the state. Is it working or is it asking for trouble?
That's ahead on CNN SUNDAY MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Investigators are poring over what's left of the Humane Society in Jacksonville, Florida, after a fire early yesterday morning. About 200 animals were inside when that fire broke out. Firefighters say all but two of the dogs were rescued, but many of the cats did not make it out alive.
In Minnesota, three football players from the University of Minnesota in custody. They're suspected in the alleged rape of an 18- year-old woman this week. They have not been charged. The football coach there, Tim Brewster, says the university is cooperating with police.
NGUYEN: Convicted sex offenders living under a bridge in south Florida.
CNN's John Zarrella investigates why they're there and why a lot of people are concerned.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The noise never stops, day or night. The sound of cars traveling the causeway, linking Miami to Miami Beach. And beneath that mass of concrete and steel live a handful of homeless men.
Kevin Morales has been here three weeks. At night, he sleeps in a recliner, perched at the top of the embankment.
KEVIN MORALES, REGISTERED SEX OFFENDER: You can even hear the mice behind you, picking away at your bags.
ZARRELLA: But there is something the people in the cars above don't know about Morales and the others. All four of these men are convicted felons. Sex offenders who committed crimes against children. They are here, Morales (ph) says, because they have no place else to live.
MORALES: I went and gave a down payment to hold the apartment. Needless to say, the following day, I get the bad news from my probation officer, that I'm not allowed to live there because the building had a pool where children may congregate. ZARRELLA: Laws in both Miami and Miami Beach prohibit sex offenders from living within 2500 feet of schools, playgrounds and anywhere children congregate. With nowhere to put these men, the Department of Corrections first placed them under a highway off-ramp in Miami. But that location was near, of all places, a center for sexually abused children.
So, corrections officers moved them here, on the state's sex offender web site, each man's address is listed as the Julia Tuttle Causeway. State corrections officials say they know it's not ideal, but they had no choice.
BRUCE GRANT, FL. DEPT. OF CORRECTIONS: The real question is, do we really want people wandering around without a place to live? Without a country? Without a location to be? Because the increasing restrictions push them further and further out.
ZARRELLA: At least here, Bruce Grant says, they are all in one place and can easily be monitored. Nearly every morning at 5:00 a.m., with his flashlight in hand, Benito Cassal (ph) comes by.
BENITO CASSAL, PROBATION OFFICER: Sanchez here. Kevin Morales here.
ZARRELLA: Cassal is their probation officer, responsible for making sure they are here, complying with the conditions of their parole. So far he says, they all have. A couple of hundred yards from where Kevin Morales lives under that bridge, right over here, behind these bushes, lives another registered sex offender, Rene Matamoros (ph). He's been here since last August.
RENE MATAMOROS, SEX OFFENDER: This is aluminum.
ZARRELLA: Matamoros makes about 200 bucks a month selling the aluminum. He sleeps in a tent and has a makeshift kitchen, complete with rats. For the foreseeable future, this is his existence.
MATAMOROS: I don't have nowhere I can go.
ZARRELLA: We asked State Senator Dave Aronberg to meet us at the bridge.
DAVE ARONBERG, SENATOR: They're horrible criminals.
ZARRELLA: Aronberg is sponsoring legislation that would set a uniform state-wide standard that would keep offenders 1,500 feet from where children gather. And it requires all offenders to wear electronic monitoring devices. He believes forcing men to live this way is asking for trouble.
ARONBERG: They're desperate. They're angry. And who do they hang around, but other sex offenders. And they feed off each other's anger and desperation. I just don't see how this helps public safety.
ZARRELLA: For Kevin Morales going back to jail might be a blessing. MORALES: If homeless life is what I have to look forward to, then I am better off in there. Because there's nothing out here for me.
ZARRELLA: None of these men know where they will go after this. What they all do know, is that few people have any sympathy for their plight.
John Zarrella, CNN, Miami.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: Well, children lost and alone in Baghdad.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): If I speak, they will kidnap me, Sayif (ph) says. "They'll shut my mouth and kidnap me."
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Violence has claims their parents. Now they're seeking shelter elsewhere.
NGUYEN: And a grab and go at Wal-Mart. Police say this guy ran off with an expensive diamond ring. And, of course, the surveillance cameras were rolling.
We have that story ahead on CNN SUNDAY MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Welcome back on this Easter Sunday. I'm Betty Nguyen.
HOLMES: And I'm T.J. Holmes.
Check this out. Can you tell from the video that that guy is up to no good?
NGUYEN: Oh, well, when he starts running, you can.
HOLMES: Yes, it looks pretty obvious there. He is on the run after he decided, you know what? I'm going to make my own blue light special.
We'll tell you about that.
NGUYEN: Yes.
And a billionaire with close ties to Martha Stewart blasts off into space.
We've got details on those stories straight ahead.
HOLMES: But first here, a story we're following out of Iraq this morning. U.S. commanders announcing the death of four more American soldiers.
The four were killed yesterday in an attack on their vehicle in Diyala Province, northwest -- or rather that's northeast of Baghdad. This is one of the hot spots now in Iraq since efforts began two months ago to restore security in Baghdad. The fatalities now bring the U.S. death toll to 3,274 since the war began.
NGUYEN: And with each death in Iraq, the number of Iraqi orphans grows. It is a problem Iraq is having a hard time handling. All those orphans, but very few places to put them.
CNN's Frederick Pleitgen visited one Iraqi orphanage to see how the kids are coping.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): A tablespoon of yogurt on fried rice. Lunch is simple at this safe house, an orphanage in one of Baghdad's poorest and most dangerous neighborhood.
But for 6-year-old Sayif Salay (ph), simply getting a hot meal every day is luxury. Sayif's (ph) parents were killed by a roadside bomb two and a half years ago. He was with them in the car, and now the boy is afraid to even talk about the terrorists who killed his mom and dad.
"If I speak, they will kidnap me," Sayif (ph) says. "They will shut my mouth and kidnap me."
Almost all the children here have similar stories to tell.
"I've never seen my father," this boy weeps. "I'm 17 years old. And I do not know my father or even what he looked like." "Every kid outside has a father that takes him to hospital or to school and brings them back home."
But while the children's past are ever present, the orphanage tries to offer them a future. Doing homework in a country where the U.N. says over 20 percent of primary school age children don't even attend classes.
(on camera): There are no reliable numbers as to how many children have been made orphans by the ongoing violence in Iraq. But the country's government does admit it's having trouble providing food and shelter for a growing number of children. Iraq's Ministry for Social Affairs says many of them end up on the streets begging or stealing.
(voice over): The orphanage is a private institution started by Iraqis from Kurdistan, funded solely by donations, one of only very few such places in Iraq.
"Thank God we didn't let these children down," the social worker says. "We leave our own families to look after these kids. If we find one of them upset, we try to talk to them as if we were the parents." Six-year-old Sayif (ph) agrees. He says the orphanage is like a new home to him and the staff are almost like parents. Sayif (ph) is a talented singer. He often sings for his new friend at the safe house, songs about God and the prophets and of hope for a better future.
Frederik Pleitgen, CNN, Baghdad.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: Well, to the sounds of a Latin beat, thousands gathered in Los Angeles yesterday condemning President Bush's immigration plan. The protesters marched through downtown L.A. carrying signs that read "Amnesty now."
At the heart of the protest, the White House plan requiring illegal immigrants return home to apply for U.S. residency and then pay a $10,000 fine. Critics says that price is too high.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Liftoff of the Soyuz rocket transporting new residents to the International Space Station.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: There it is, a perfect launch for the Russian space capsule. And on board were two cosmonauts, as well as Charles Simonyi. It's an American billionaire who paid $25 million for this vacation.
Now, he is romantically linked to Martha Stewart, who is said to have prepared a delicious gourmet meal for the space station crew. We can only imagine what they got.
You can read all these stories and all the day's news at CNN.com.
NGUYEN: Yes, it does pay to know Martha.
Well, if you are a smoker, you know that new rules and restrictions make it harder than ever to light up in public places. But as they say, necessity is the mother of invention, and smokers are finding a new outlet to take it out on -- or to take it in, I should say. They're not taking it out on anyone.
CNN's Kathleen Koch has the story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE, "ALICE IN WONDERLAND": Who are you?
KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): He is one of the most memorable characters in Walt Disney's "Alice in Wonderland," the caterpillar, languidly puffing away atop his mushroom. Now growing numbers of Americans are following his lead, smoking hookah pipes. With bans now blocking smoking in restaurants and bars in 16 states, hookah bars are becoming a last refuge.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You know, I think it's a -- it's a nice alternative to smoking cigarettes. And again, it's just like the lounge atmosphere. So it's comfortable.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's a really relaxing atmosphere. There's a nice aesthetic of the smoke rising slowly up.
KOCH: In a bowl near the top lit by a red-hot charcoal, hookah pipes hold tobacco in an assortment of flavors, from apple to coconut. The smoke passes through water and is sucked through as many as six long tubes. Many cities, including Washington, D.C., carve out smoking ban exemptions for establishments like hookah and cigar bars.
JIM GRAHAM, WASHINGTON CITY COUNCIL: If you prohibited tobacco in hookah bars, it would be like prohibiting tobacco in tobacco shops. There would be nothing left.
KOCH: Come Monday, Maryland is expected to pass a statewide smoking ban.
KRIS GOLSHAN, OWNER, ZEEBA LOUNGE: Personally, I think it's uncalled for. I don't think it's something that, you know, needed to take place.
KOCH: The owners of Zeeba Lounge, a hookah bar in Baltimore, aren't sure whether it will snuff out their business.
ERIC KNOBLOCH, ZEEBA LOUNGE: It's our hope and our intent to be able to get an exception from that smoking ban based on the impact that that would have on our business and on our culture here at Zeeba Lounge.
KOCH: Customers hope the hookah bar survives.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think they definitely should be allowed an exception since their business is based on being able to smoke.
KOCH (on camera): There's little hard research on the health effects of smoking hookah pipes...
(voice over): ... but the American cancer society says tobacco smoke is dangerous, whether it's in a hookah or a cigarette.
Kathleen Koch, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(NEWSBREAK)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: This morning at the Vatican, Pope Benedict XVI presided over Easter mass at St. Peter's Basilica. It included his traditional papal address known as "To the City and To the World." The mass is the final ceremony in the most important event on the Christian Church calendar, the period between Good Friday, which commemorates Jesus' crucifixion, and Easter Sunday, marking his resurrection. It's considered the most important of all vigils.
In Jerusalem, meanwhile, Orthodox Christians celebrated an annual ritual at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. You're looking at what they believe is the place Jesus was crucified and buried. The church stands there today, and every year worshipers take part in the Holy Fire ceremony, lighting candles and torches. They believe fire spontaneously appears from Jesus' tomb on the eve of Easter as a message that he's not forgotten his followers.
And, of course, after Jesus' death, his disciples lost their beloved leader and teacher. The very foundation of his ministry was at the critical crossroads until those left behind took up their cross and walked in the footsteps of their mentor.
Our faith and values correspondent Delia Gallagher presents, "After Jesus: The Early Christians."
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DELIA GALLAGHER, CNN FAITH AND VALUES CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In the tumultuous years just after Jesus' death, his followers struggled to keep his message alive, a message in peril of disappearing completely. But then, two leaders emerged, Peter, the simple fisherman from Galilee, Jesus' chief apostle. And Paul, the sophisticated intellectual.
PROFESSOR BART EHRMAN, UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA: Some people called Paul the second founder of Christianity because Christianity is more than following the teachings of Jesus. Christianity is not just a religion that Jesus had, it's the religion about Jesus, it's the religion founded on Jesus' death and resurrection.
GALLAGHER: But spreading Jesus' story and defining this new faith put Paul and Peter, it's most influential leaders at odds. Both were Jews, but Peter argued that Jesus was for the Jews only.
If you wanted to follow Jesus, you had to become a Jew and obey Jewish law. Paul, on the other hand, preached that the new faith was open to everyone, gentile and Jew. This open-door policy was a huge problem for Peter who wielded considerable power in Jerusalem, power given to him by Jesus.
PROFESSOR AMY-JILL LEVINE, VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY: According to the gospel of Matthew, Jesus says to Peter, you are Peter, the Greek term for rock petros. And on this rock Petra, I will build my church.
EHRMAN: Peter was the key player in early Christianity and according to our traditions, was the one who converted Jews early on to believe in Jesus as the messiah.
GALLAGHER: Within two decades of the crucifixion, scholars say Christianity faced a life-or-death moment. EHRMAN: This was a major dispute in early Christianity. Whether followers of Jesus have to become Jewish in order to worship the Jewish god.
GALLAGHER: This conflict between Peter and Paul threatened to destroy the new faith.
PROFESSOR CLAIRE PEANN, UNIVERSITY OF THE HOLY LAND: In Jerusalem, around the year 48 to 49, the first apostolic council is called in order to resolve the issue of gentile Christians. Do they convert or don't they convert.
GALLAGHER: Paul argues that the Holy Spirit had descended upon the gentiles apart from the Law of Moses, therefore, there was no reason to insist that those gentiles be converted first to Judaism in order to be a member of the church. Paul's argument won the day. Jesus' message was for the whole world, a huge triumph for the new faith, but the biggest struggle was yet to come.
(END OF VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: Well, "After Jesus: The Earliest Christians," a look at the challenges, struggles and revolution that became Christianity, that is tonight at 8:00 Eastern.
You'll want to see that. So, we've got for you.
And then we've got this...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROLAND MARTIN, HOST, "WHAT WOULD JESUS REALLY DO?": Look at the world around you, the madness, squabbling, shocking and outlandish behavior. And that's just the religious folks.
Be sure to ask yourselves, what would Jesus really do?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: Well, right now we are asking, what will the first family be eating for Easter dinner? It's not the same question, of course, but we will take a peek inside the president's Texas kitchen.
That is coming up.
Plus, Reynolds joins us with a look at the weather.
(NEWSBREAK)
(WEATHER REPORT)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Well good morning everybody. Happy Easter. It is Sunday, April 8th. I'm Betty Nguyen.
HOLMES: I'm T.J. Holmes. We're here live at the CNN Center in Atlanta. So glad you could be with us here this morning.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I said what is all that water coming over? It was the swimming pool. The boat was going like this.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: That's not a good sign. They were going down on a sinking ship. The last hours before a luxury cruiser slips beneath the sea. American tourists shared their tense stories.
HOLMES: Also, paradise lost for another American. In Central America to surf and run a business, a young man now in a Nicaraguan prison.
NGUYEN: T.J. you may want to listen up to this one. You better go green or it is going to cost you. One lawmaker wants to hit drivers of big SUVs, which you have, where it hurts the most. And that is in your wallet. We're going to tell but plan ahead on this CNN SUNDAY MORNING.
We do have an interesting new look for you this morning. The last moments at sea, check them out for that ill-fated Greek cruise ship. Hundreds of Americans onboard now back home and eager to share stories and pictures with us. CNN's Veronica De La Cruz has the story.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DE LA CRUZ: The last moments of the "Sea Diamond" as it capsizes close to the Greek island of Santorini early on Friday morning. Arriving home in New York, some of the cruise liners passengers talk about their sudden end to their vacation and their lucky escape.
MARYANN SALERNO, PASSENGER: I was lost from all my friends, 38 of them. I was by myself on the ship the whole time.
DE LA CRUZ: Some had praised for the way the emergency was handled.
MARY HENDERSON, PASSENGER: The crew was wonderful. They were absolutely wonderful.
DE LA CRUZ: Others spoke of confusion.
DAVID WEAVER, PASSENGER: They were trying to get the lifeboats down which was a chore. And then he had had to get the mechanic there's to get them rolling.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They were not prepared. No. The staff was not prepared for an emergency like this.
DE LA CRUZ: Some passengers could even smile about the experience.
BARBARA NEIL, PASSENGER: Then when we saw all the crew with life vests on, we knew something was really not good.
DE LA CRUZ: Passengers lost everything they had taken on vacation when the ship went down.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is it!
SANDY MURPHY, PASSENGER: We all bought jewelry and everything. It's all down. There we don't care at this point.
DE LA CRUZ: Several did bring home video of their dramatic escape; all came home with the same thoughts.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're home safe to talk about it. That's what matters.
DE LA CRUZ: Back in Greece, the captain and five other senior crewmembers of the "Sea Diamond" had been charged with negligence. His ship lies at the bottom of Santorini's Volcanic Lagoon.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: All but two passengers did make it to shore safely. A Frenchman and his teenage daughter are still missing.
HOLMES: All right. We have a flight grounded by a foul-mouthed pilot. We got some new details for you this morning. We were telling you about this story yesterday. This Northwest Airlines flight from Las Vegas, well it was canceled when the pilot allegedly dropped the f bomb several times, actually. First he did it on the cell phone and then at a passenger.
NGUYEN: No way.
HOLMES: At a passenger. Well, he was pulled off that plane and now the FAA is taking a closer look and could take away his pilots' license. The pilot has been sent to company headquarters in Detroit as part of Northwest's investigation into that incident.
And we all like to make a quick shopping trip, but not that quick. Not quite like that. This is a tape from the Wal-Mart in Florida. Police say the guy walked up to the jewelry counter, asked to see a diamond ring and then he was out. Ring in hand. And once he made it past the jewelry counter, he just kind of walked real fast to the car.
NGUYEN: Maybe he had a reservation that he needed to make, an appointment.
HOLMES: He forgot he had the ring in his hand. That's a possibility, Betty.
NGUYEN: Kind of doubt it.
HOLMES: She's on his defense team, actually. If police do catch him, they're hoping to give him a little more jewelry, those matching silver bracelets. NGUYEN: Shiny handcuffs. As we like to call them. Not a good idea. I'm not sure if she would really want that ring. All right.
Grab a jacket before you head out the door. Temperatures this Easter Sunday are going to stay on the cold side. Want to check out Lubbock now here in Texas where it looks more like Christmas than Easter. Not sure if they're trying to make a snowman or Easter egg. But some parts of Texas won't warm up all that much today and could be in for more snow. It is no day at the beach either at Virginia Beach. Snow, ice, these conditions are blamed for one traffic death in Virginia. Now the cold weather can be around for several days in parts of the east. So Reynolds Wolf has been watching this on -- what are you calling it today? We like to call it Easter. What are you calling it?
REYNOLDS WOLF, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Last hour I was just alluding to the fact that my daughter is 11 months old. She doesn't know Easter from, you know, any day. So I was just saying, you know, last hour it could be [ mumbling ] and she would be, you know, all fired up. But, you know what? Today we're learning the reason why Easter eggs are indeed colored. The reason why they're dyed is in case you have to put them in the snow, you can see them.
NGUYEN: That's a good point. Yeah. You're a smart man, Reynolds.
WOLF: Hey, some scattered showers. We've been seeing them up in the Great Lakes. Not scattered showers but scattered snow showers. Some places got up to a foot of snow. That snow is going to ease off. The cold air will stay in place. That's what we have this Detroit right now is 26 degrees, 33 in New York, 29 in Washington. And in Atlanta, out at Hearts Field Jackson Airport, it is resting right at 30 degrees. But later on today, we can expect those temperatures to warm up to 52, still below normal. But when you factor in the breeze we're expecting all across parts of the southeast including Augusta, Georgia, where they're going to be playing the masters today, is going to be a cool day.
Also cool in New Orleans with a high of only 55 degrees, 36 in Denver and 30 in Minneapolis. West coast looks pretty good, temperatures mainly in the 60s for both San Francisco and Los Angeles a mix of sunshine and clouds. However fog right in the San Joaquin Valley may stick around at least until 2:00 before dissipating. Scattered showers also possible into portions of the Rockies. When you get into the central Plains, one part of Texas, extreme north Texas as well as way back along the Oklahoma panhandle, you may still deal with snowflakes for today. So certainly watch out for that and make sure you carry the parka. You'll need them in the early part of the day. That's your forecast. Let's send it back you to at the news desk.
NGUYEN: All right. Reynolds thank you.
WOLF: You bet.
HOLMES: Well enjoy your celebrations among Christians around the world this Easter Sunday. People in Jerusalem began gathering before dawn for the sunrise service. Many Christians believe this is the burial chamber where Jesus was laid after the crucifixion and the site of the resurrection.
This is Easter mass at the Vatican today. During the traditional papal blessing, Pope Benedict spoke out against the continual slaughter in Iraq, as he called it in a speech seen in 67 countries around the world, the pope said that nothing positive comes from the on going conflict in Iraq. He also condemned terrorist who use religion to justify violence.
Also near Washington, DC, a sunrise Easter service at the Arlington National Cemetery, of course, on hallowed ground for many Americans. It holds the bodies of some 300,000 people, many of them died in battle. The cemetery averages 28 funerals every single day.
NGUYEN: Here is a winning equation for you, take the passion of the Christ and then add the love of money. What do you get? That's what many of us have known for quite some time. And that is that Jesus sells. Our faith and values correspondent reports Delia Gallagher reports.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GALLAGHER: Jesus was once a docudrama. That didn't bring much bread to the creators back in 1979.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Action.
GALLAGHER: But behold today's Jesus; the Christian Son of God has become a darling of the marketplace. For even a movie in another language, "Passion of the Christ" grossed $371 million and a box office hit worldwide.
PAUL LAUER, MOTIVE MARKETING: Forty two percent of the population goes to church on Sunday. And they're everywhere. It's every age, every gender, and every ethnicity.
GALLAGHER: It's not just Jesus selling these days; it's his mother, his icons, and his spirit.
JERRY JENKINS, THE "LEFT BEHIND" SERIES: It's due to a spiritual hunger. People are looking for something beyond themselves. And our biggest fear is that this is a short window and that people, you know, in New York or Hollywood will say, you know, Jesus sells right now. But as soon as it levels out, we'll move on to something else.
GALLAGHER: Not all retailers out there are in it for the love of god, though. Some see the almighty as way to the almighty dollar. The Association for Christian retail estimates that their members sell $4.2 billion of products each year.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm not sure if we take the whole package of Jesus' teachings that Jesus himself would have been comfortable with that commercialism. GALLAGHER: Many Christian retailers say the difference between profiting from a prophet and simply spreading his good word can sometimes be close.
BILL ANDERSON: We live in a capitalistic society and this is really driven by an open marketplace. And today's American consumer is a pretty tough judge and jury when it comes to what they're willing to lay their money down for. A Christian-logoed golf ball or a golf ball with a message might be something that a golfer shares his faith, uses to share his faith on the golf course.
GALLAGHER: International groups like Campus Crusade for Christ, which created the Jesus docudrama says marketing products is just one form of funding. They had $560 million in revenue this year, mostly from members.
JIM GREEN THE JESUS FILM PROJECT: Our goal is to simply make the story and life of Jesus available to everyone in the world in his or her own language, near to where they live. So our goal is not to make money.
GALLAGHER: The Jesus docudrama didn't make millions back in 1979. But it reached three billion viewers worldwide. In languages as diverse as Dari, Banju and Dutch. Teaching its makers that marketing is just one modern solution to an age-old problem. How to speak to the faithful in a language they can understand.
Delia Gallagher, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Well, we need to tell you about a kid that went to surf and run a business but he ended up on trial.
NGUYEN: Yeah this is a really interesting story. Why this American entrepreneur was sentenced to 30 years in prison in Nicaragua.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's not a bill about a particular type of car or light truck. It's about clean versus dirty vehicles.
HOLMES: All right. Big gas guzzling car owners could face a big gas guzzling tax if one lawmaker has his way.
NGUYEN: Plus, CNN chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta is here with more on some health news for women.
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Betty, preventative or prophylactic mastectomy can be an option for women for a variety of reasons. Things like a close family history, the genetic mutations. It's a brave choice, that's for sure. Another choice many women may be confused about this week is whether or not to have a mammogram if they're in their 40s. New research says maybe not. Many experts say absolutely. We're taking e-mails and clear up any confusion all that on "House Call" at 8:30.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: U.S. commanders announcing the deaths of four more American soldiers. The four were killed yesterday in an attack in their vehicle in Diyala Province northeast of Baghdad. This is one of the hot spots now in Iraq since efforts began two months ago to restore security in Baghdad. The fatalities bring the U.S. death toll to 3,274 since the war began.
NGUYEN: We do have more evidence that no one is safe from insurgent violence. Today Britain's Prince William is mourning the death of a close friend in Basra. Second Lieutenant Joanna York Dyer was one of four British soldiers killed Thursday by roadside bomb. The two trained together and graduated from Sanhurst Military Academy on the same day.
An American entrepreneur selling real estate in Nicaragua making his home in a prison cell. His family says he is being railroaded and they're asking the U.S. government and the on line community for help. CNN's Tim Lister takes a closer look at the case.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TIM LISTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): February 16, anger erupts outside the courthouse in the usual tranquil town in Nicaragua. Locals demand life in jail for an American Eric Volz. Police fire warning shots to hold back the crowd. Inside, the trial of Volz enters its final stages. He and a Nicaragua man are accused of the rape and murder of his girlfriend last November. Volz had been dating Doris Jimenez (ph) for about a year. The prosecutors pointed to marks on Volz and his co-defendant. There was signs of violence on their bodies, she said. Scratches according to the medical examiner. The defense said Volz had got those scratches while carrying Doris's coffin at her funeral. No forensic evidence from the crime scene was presented and the prosecution relied on testimony from a man who had previously been charged with a crime himself.
Several people said that at the time of the murder they were with Volz in the capital two hours away. They said he rented a car to travel to her home after hearing the news. The judge through out that evidence. Someone went out of their way to find witness who's placed Eric Volz in Nicaragua at the time of the murder she said. But she added with great valor, employees of the car rental company contradicted this testimony.
The judge found Volz guilty and sentenced him to 30 years in jail. After the verdict he was hustled from the courthouse wearing a protective vest for his own safety as the crowd cheered the conviction. Volz's Nicaraguan dream had turned into a nightmare. He had been in the country two years, surfing and starting a magazine. And had met his Doris who was from a small town. But some resented the influx of Americans and after his arrest, Nicaraguan tabloids whipped up an anti-gringo campaign. The case has even led to videos on youtube, one featuring Volz's friends.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One hundred percent beyond a shadow of a doubt that Eric is innocent. It is utterly impossible. LISTER: Another, the murdered woman's mother claiming that Volz offered money if she would drop charges. The case now goes to a higher court where Volz's attorney hopes the nightmare will end.
RAMON ROJAS, VOLZ'S ATTORNEY: I have faith and hope we will be heard by the Court of Appeals says Ramon Rojas. Three people are less likely to make the same mistake. The appeal may be heard later this month, in the meantime, Eric Volz remains in a maximum-security jail.
Tim Lister, CNN, Atlanta.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: And we'll continue following that story for you.
But in the meantime, remember this video? This is definitely -- check her out. Right there. She is about to lose her tooth as he pulls on the bow and arrow. It's one dad's unique way to help his little one get that tooth out of there. We have the story coming up.
HOLMES: Also CNN chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta here now with a preview of some health headlines that are coming your way.
GUPTA: T.J, thanks. We have a big show today. New hope for people with migraines.
Plus, we're taking e-mails trying to clear up all this confusion about mammograms.
And tune in to hear the story of a man put in jail because he is sick. He could be there for years.
And finally, it's Easter weekend. We're going inside the brain discovering if humans are hard wired for faith. All that on "House Call" at 8:30.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Looking for exercising equipment on a budget, make used gear an option.
BILL BARNEY, OWNER, PLAY IT AGAIN SPORTS: You want to pick a piece of equipment that fits your needs, it always comes back to you the consumer. Go into the place where you are going to purchase the equipment let them know your budget.
COSTELLO: Bill Barney owes a Play it Again Sports in Atlanta.
BARNEY: We try carrying cardio equipment, and resistance equipment to out customer's needs.
COSTELLO: Something to keep in mind.
BARNEY: The big things I look for is affordability and dependability.
COSTELLO: Here are tips when shopping for used equipment.
BARNEY: The treadmills are extremely popular so when you are looking at a treadmill I always tell my clients don't go overboard, don't get a commercial piece. You can get a nice reasonably priced you know treadmill. I like the Olympia full body movement, which I really like about these trainers, the reason I caution a lot of my clients on the Stairmaster is because it is a very intense cardio piece and it is not something I would recommend that people do every day.
COSTELLO: Get a better focus on your fitness.
BARNEY: Make sure you have the right combination to make the quality of your life even better.
COSTELLO: Carol Costello, CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Swimming the Amazon for the first time? A man completing the more than 3,000-mile journey. Martin Strales (ph) spent the last 65 days battling the world's second longest river. Exhaustion and delirium set in near the end. Then, of course, there were the piranhas. Yeah, not a good thing to come in. If the Guinness people confirm the swim, it will be his fourth river swimming world record. He has already done many others including the mighty Mississippi. I guess the only thing left now is the world's longest river, the Nile.
HOLMES: Well offsetting your carbon footprint. Gas prices are on the rise again and now some SUV drivers may be in line for another charge. That's if one California lawmaker gets his way. CNN's Sumi Das has the story.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hop in; get your seat belts on.
SUMI DAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Taraiaka Swanson loves her SUV. But says she would drive a U-Haul truck or bus if she could.
TARAIAKA SWANSON, SUV DRIVER: I had a smaller car for about, I think ten days and I took it back.
DAS: It's not out of blatant disregard for the environment, with three active kids and two elderly parents, her car is frequently full.
SWANSON: The other side of my life is I'm a caretaker for my parents and transport them to all medical visits and other errands throughout the week. And one of them I use the wheelchair for.
DAS: Swanson says filling up her beloved Suburban is pricey but a proposed bill could unload another financial burden. If California assemblyman Ira Ruskin gets his wish, starting in 2011, drivers would have to shell out up to an extra $1,200 when they purchase new cars that spew higher levels of pollution. IRA RUSKIN, CALIFORNIA ASSEMBLYMAN: We have 20 million cars on the road in California. We've made a decision to fight global warming. We can't do it without getting cleaner vehicles on the road.
DAS: Buyers of cleaner burning cars would receive a rebate.
RUSKIN: It's not a bill about a particular type of car or light truck. It's about clean versus dirty vehicles. It's about the efficiency of the engine in emitting fewer green house gases.
DAS: The bill includes exemptions for small businesses and vehicles for transporting the disabled. While Swanson does shuttle around her wheelchair bound mother, she hasn't modified her car so she wouldn't be eligible. Car sellers are likely to fight the proposal claiming most large vehicles are used appropriately and the bill is misguided.
PETER HOFFMAN, CALIFORNIA CAR DEALERS ASSN: It's simply not a very efficient way to try to change the consuming patterns. There are too many people that are going to be trapped by it and you're going to have -- it's a wealth transfer thing that is going to be too capricious, too frequently.
DAS: Similar bills have been proposed in the past but Ruskin says this time the bill has a better chance of passing. Why? Ruskin says the climate has changed, the political climate that is.
Sumi Das, CNN, Los Angeles.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NGUYEN: It does look like it hurts. But we did ask the father how his daughter really felt about getting her tooth pulled out by a bow and arrow.
HOLMES: Yeah. How did she feel about that, dad? We have this story for you. Stay with us on CNN SUNDAY MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Well a piece of video we showed you yesterday continues to generate high interest for a good reason.
HOLMES: Yes, we're interested here ourselves. It shows a father removing his daughter's loose tooth by borrowing a page from a tale.
NGUYEN: CNN's Fredricka Whitfield had a chance to talk to him about it.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PAUL CARDEN, USED ARROW TO YANK TOOTH: I think it startled her whenever the tooth comes out. I think it tagged her on the lip a little bit. But if you look at the film, you see she's not hurt at all.
WHITFIELD: So why not let the tooth fall out on its own like a lot of kids? Why do you have to force it out this way?
CARDEN: It was just about to fall out anyway. It was loose pretty much most of the day. And she finally came in and asked me to go ahead and take it out for her. We decided to do it this way.
WHITFIELD: Do you have other kids? Have you done it this way before? Was this -- was your daughter the guinea pig this go around?
CARDEN: Yeah, she was a guinea pig for this one. She's an only child.
WHITFIELD: And she's a real good sport about it.
CARDEN: Oh, yeah.
WHITFIELD: How old was she at this time?
CARDEN: About 5 or 6.
WHITFIELD: Wow. And so what about the other teeth that came out later?
CARDEN: She pretty much let those come out formally.
WHITFIELD: Oh yeah, I'm not surprised. All right. So please tell the tooth fairy gave her justice?
CARDEN: Oh, yes, yes. She always turned out real well with the tooth fairy.
WHITFIELD: All right. What did she make on this tooth?
CARDEN: (inaudible).
WHITFIELD: We'll be the judge of that. Say that again?
CARDEN: Probably about $5.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: That's it?
NGUYEN: Five bucks?
HOLMES: That's it? Dad?
NGUYEN: You hooked her up to a bow and arrow and you gave her five bucks? Come on!
HOLMES: And sawed her tooth across the room.
NGUYEN: I love the scream! Aahh!
HOLMES: Oh, Betty!
NGUYEN: I love that. HOLMES: Here it is one more time before we move on.
NGUYEN: No, no, that's all right.
HOLMES: OK.
And again, folks, we were telling you, do not -- please do not try this at home.
NGUYEN: Please. And if you do, can you get more than five bucks? We would suggest that you do.
And if you do have some video that you'd like to share with us, you can upload it by going to cnn.com and clicking on "iReport."
We have a look at this cold blast of air and how long it's going to stick around. That's coming up next.
HOLMES: But first, "HOUSE CALL" with Dr. Sanjay Gupta takes a look at the body and soul right now.
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